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Archive for April 8th, 2013
A warming world will further intensify extreme precipitation events, research shows
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 8th, 2013
ScienceDaily: According to a newly-published NOAA-led study in Geophysical Research Letters, as the globe warms from rising atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases, more moisture in a warmer atmosphere will make the most extreme precipitation events more intense.
The study, conducted by a team of researchers from the North Carolina State University's Cooperative Institute for Climate and Satellites-North Carolina (CICS-NC), NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), the Desert Research Institute, University...
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Climate Change in the Southeastern U.S. Could Mean Endless Severe Thunderstorms
Posted by Atlantic Cities: John Metcalfe on April 8th, 2013
Atlantic Cities: Scientists who probe the atmosphere is search of tomorrow's weather have already picked up signs of major heat waves looming for American cities, particularly eastern 'burgs like Boston, Baltimore, and Philadelphia.
Now NASA is giving us a heads-up that residents of yet more cities might soon face increased risks of getting frizzled by lightning or charley-horsed by walnut-sized hailstones. The space agency has released new weather models based on a 2007 study by Purdue University's Robert Trapp,...
The ethics of resurrecting extinct species
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 8th, 2013
ScienceDaily: At some point, scientists may be able to bring back extinct animals, and perhaps early humans, raising questions of ethics and environmental disruption.
Within a few decades, scientists may be able to bring back the dodo bird from extinction, a possibility that raises a host of ethical questions, says Stanford law Professor Hank Greely.
Twenty years after the release of Jurassic Park, the dream of bringing back the dinosaurs remains science fiction. But scientists predict that within 15 years...
Greens ask U.S. to delay Keystone decision after Arkansas leak
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 8th, 2013
Reuters: Environmental groups on Monday asked the Obama administration to extend the approval process of the Keystone XL pipeline, using last month's spill of heavy Canadian crude oil in Arkansas as their latest reason to delay the project.
The Obama administration is deciding whether to approve the Canada-to-Nebraska leg of TransCanada Corp's proposed pipeline, which would link Canada's oil sands, the world's third richest crude oil deposit, to refineries in Texas.
The State Department, which issued...
Population boom poses interconnected challenges of energy, food, water
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 8th, 2013
ScienceDaily: Mention great challenges in feeding a soaring world population, and thoughts turn to providing a bare subsistence diet for poverty-stricken people in developing countries. But an expert speaking in New Orleans on April 8 at the 245th National Meeting & Exposition of the American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society, described a parallel and often-overlooked challenge.
"The global population will rise from 7 billion today to almost 9 billion people by 2040," Ganesh...
Spring Blizzard to Dump Heavy Snow, Spark Severe Storms
Posted by Climate Central: Andrew Freedman on April 8th, 2013
Climate Central: A powerful spring storm taking shape in the West is forecast to spread a swath of heavy snow from the Rockies to the Plains, and eventually across the northern Midwest into northern New England by the end of the week. At the same time, the storm may trigger several rounds of severe thunderstorms, including the threat for tornadoes, as it moves across the country.
This storm will be notable for its broad geographic reach and multiple hazards, ranging from blizzard conditions with heavy snow and...
Coalition Launches Keystone XL ‘All Risk, No Reward’ TV Ad
Posted by EcoWatch: None Given on April 8th, 2013
EcoWatch: The All Risk, No Reward Coalition launched today as a national group that will educate the American people on the "all risk and no reward" of TransCanada’s Keystone XL tar sands pipeline and urge President Obama and Secretary Kerry to reject it. The coalition brings together a unique group of national and state organizations focusing on the messaging of risk vs. reward, and national interest. The coalition is using paid media in a way that has never been part of the anti-Keystone movement.
The...
Arkansas Spill: Another Red Flag Exposing the Dangers of the Keystone XL Pipeline
Posted by EcoWatch: Robert Redford on April 8th, 2013
EcoWatch: When I see raw tar sands coursing through people`s yards and across wetlands, it makes me sick. My thoughts are with the people in Arkansas who are dealing with this river of toxic mess. And my thoughts instantly move ahead to what could happen to farms, families, homes and wild areas across our country if we support expansion of tar sands with permits for pipelines such as Keystone XL. The answer seems clear, especially when we look at the graphic video footage from Arkansas: tar sands expansion...
Sorting through the claims, counterclaims about environmental impact of ‘fracking.’
Posted by NBC: Bill Dedman and Karen Weintraub on April 8th, 2013
NBC: It's difficult to find scientists who have not lined up on one side or another on hydraulic fracking for oil and natural gas. The anti-fracking groups have their scientific talking points, and the pro-fracking groups have their counterclaims. Some of the scientists who have put out pro-fracking reports have turned out to be tied to the industry. When even the federal panel formed to study the issue is stacked with industry supporters, it's hard for environmentalists and health advocates to believe...
Indigenous group: Brazil using military to force Amazon dams
Posted by Washington Post: Juliet Eilperin on April 8th, 2013
Guardian: An Amazonian community has threatened to "go to war" with the Brazilian government after what they say is a military incursion into their land by dam builders.
The Munduruku indigenous group in Para state say they have been betrayed by the authorities, who are pushing ahead with plans to build a cascade of hydropower plants on the Tapajós river without their permission.
Public prosecutors, human rights groups, environmental organizations and Christian missionaries have condemned what they call...